Anyone who ’s sat through a long ceremony , follow by a abbreviated , teetotal receipt can well takeweddingsfor granted . Brides and bridegroom , too , their mind contribute almost ­exclusively to planning and celebrate their wedding , can overtop the themes underlying within the ceremony . Amid the flower , limo , gowns and honeymoons , common threads wind together to mold the underlying traditions fou­nd in some form or fashion in just about every hymeneals .

These tradition are often ancient one : The connection of two multitude as a matrimonial couple is filled with symbolic gestures drawn from culture around the human race and far back in time . count the rings . Ancient Greeks and Romans distrust the ring finger’s breadth was connected to the heart via anerve . This gave rising to the custom of wearing marriage rings on that digit as a symbol of a bride and groom ’s possession of each other’sheart[source : Old Farmer ’s Almanac ] .

The custom of the groom selecting a effective humankind to he­lp him carry out the wedding trace its lineage back to Germanic tribes . Rather than helping carry out the wedding ceremony , the good mankind originally was tap to help oneself carry off an unwilling Brigid - chosen , if necessa­ry . The best man ’s stead beside the ostler during the ceremonial occasion was meant to locate him as a cuticle between the groom and angry member of the bride ’s family [ seed : World Wedding Traditions ] .

Other tradition evolve from early custom . To guarantee a wedding was in reality consummate at other chivalric hymeneals , some guests served as informant around the married couple bed . They took the supporter from the St. Brigid as proof of the consummation . This act was later replaced by the groom simply removing the supporter from his bride and tossing it to eligible bachelors .

­There ’s another tradition that can be found in cultivation around the world and sometimes with different explanations for its beginning . The custom of the groom carrying the Saint Bridget across the threshold is a very old one . Find out why duo take in this odd ritual on the next page .

Carrying the Bride: Exactly Why?

As it turn out , weddings in the daylight of yore sometimes follow kidnapping . This explains not only the use of the best man but also why the Bridget and stableman customarily allow the wedding celebration before everyone else . It ’s symbolic of the groom stealing away with his bride , whisking her from her family and into a new life with him . The kidnapping theme also explains why groom carry their brides over the limen in some cultures . In Medieval Europe , carrying a bride into her fresh home foreclose her from seeming too enthusiastic about recede her virginity . By picking her up and taking her into their nursing home , the groom provided an excuse for his wife ’s chastity [ source : Nickerson ] .

Interestingly , this is n’t the only origin and principle for a groom carrying his bride across the threshold after their wedding . It appears that this usage also develop in other cultivation for unlike reasons . primary among these reasons was to queer big fortune and evil spirits .

Superstitious Western Europeans think that a Bridget who tripped over the threshold of her new home would irrevocably bring regretful luck to her home andmarriage . Since the hubby appear to have been immune from such happenstance , the groom carry the bride into the rest home proved a effective path to forfend such a mischance whole [ informant : World Wedding Traditions ] . This care of tripping appears to have its radical in ancient romish culture , which hold a alike feeling [ informant : Nickerson ] .

Pan - culturally , brides seem to be considered lightning rods for tough luck . In increase to being susceptible to bad luck , Saint Bridget ' bodies also purportedly provide bully havens for uncommitted strong drink . Spirit intrusionis the whim that the spirits of the beat or support can know on uncommitted to their strong-arm bodies and are thus capable to enter the consistence of others [ source : Ember and Ember ] . Once inside , a purport can bring havoc on the possessed , generate physical and mental sickness .

Belief in spirit intrusion continues in some cultures today , although it was much more widespread in the ancient creation . In many of these early cultures , the brink of the family was think to be rife with free-swimming spirits . A bride was considered peculiarly vulnerable to spirit intrusion , especially through the soles of her human foot . By carry her into their base , the groom was covering all his bases by secure his new married woman did n’t bring along any undesirable spiritual guests into the house [ reference : The Knot ] .

Much , if not all , of the original meaning behind a groom carrying his bride across the threshold has been lost in modern westerly wedding . It ’s singular that the practice continues , even if a newly we d brace is n’t entirely sure why to do it . It ’s almost as if a collective computer memory of the danger with which a threshold may be pregnant remains . And after all , it ’s better to be safe than sorry .

For more information on usance and other related to topics , visit the next page . ­

Lots More Information

Sources

­ ­